'TRON: Legacy' vs. 'Avatar': How Do the Two Blockbusters Match Up?

When we first started writing about 'TRON: Legacy,' people immediately began comparing it to 'Avatar.' Both films were years in the making, and both were arriving in theaters on the same weekend, one year apart. Both were being touted for their breakthroughs in 3D technology months before release, and both have had fans itching to get at them for years.

We already know what happened with 'Avatar.' At first, people didn't know what was going to happen. Was your average moviegoer going to buy into an original film that, based on early 2D trailers, looked kind of like a video game? Well, it didn't take long to learn that, yes, people did want to see 'Avatar' -- like, a lot. The film quickly began building buzz and breaking records, fast on its way to becoming the highest grossing movie of all time. James Cameron was once again King of the World, and though it missed grabbing a Best Picture Oscar by this much, it certainly helped usher in this new wave of 3D movies with brutal force.

Meanwhile, 'TRON: Legacy' has been in the works for years, with footage screening at multiple Comic-Cons to rooms packed full of geeks all foaming at the mouths to see what this new 3D technology could add to the already fantastical world created by the original Tron back in 1982. Now that 'Avatar' has set the bar pretty high, would 'TRON: Legacy' -- the second film in a franchise known for its technological breakthroughs -- one-up James Cameron's beast a year after it took the world by storm? Or, is Cameron's crown still safe in his 3D kingdom?